Over the next few days, the courts will be teeming with competitors, many of whom are not local to Bend, as they vie for the championship in the Bend Pickleball Club’s Pacific Northwest Classic, held from July 26-30. Pickleball, declared by NBC News as the fastest-growing sport in the United States, currently boasts almost 5 million players globally.

What draws people to pickleball—a sport that seems to be a hybrid of ping-pong, tennis, and badminton?

“It’s fun. It’s addictive. Anyone can play,” explained Lynette, a recreational player who was interviewed at Pine Nursery Pickleball Courts. “It’s a game for everyone and can be fun, competitive or recreational. [Pickleball] adds a lot of joy to my life. I’ve met many fantastic people while playing.” 

The same elements that have captured Lynette’s affection for the sport have resonated with millions worldwide. 

Christie Gestvang, Co-Director of the Pacific Northwest Classic pickleball tournament at Pine Nursery, first discovered pickleball as a PE teacher. After ending her career as an educator, she found herself drawn to the rapidly evolving sport. She noted the shift of pickleball from a family backyard pastime to a more competitive sport, with tennis courts being replaced by pickleball courts. 

Gestvang’s interest in pickleball deepened over time, and she became an active member of the Bend Pickleball Club. She helped raise funds to build the first eight courts at Pine Nursery in 2013, as well as another eight the following year, bringing the total to 16. The superior quality of these new courts attract hundreds of participants of all ages to the annual pickleball tournament that Gestvang co-organizes. Looking forward, she hopes to add an additional 16 courts to cater to the escalating interest in the sport.

She is not alone in her aspirations; many other facilities and groups plan to expand their pickleball courts, programs and opportunities. Sunriver, according to its resort website, intends to completely convert its tennis courts into pickleball courts. The interest in pickleball, initially popular mainly among older adults, has also extended to the youth. According to a report from USA Pickleball, the fastest growth in total participants from 2020 to 2021 was among players under 24 years of age, with a 21% increase.

Ryan Cruz, a PE teacher at Caldera High School and the Head Boys’ Tennis Coach, has made pickleball a key unit in his courses. 

“It’s a fantastic sport because most people can pick it up pretty quickly. It’s a good social sport so people can have fun with it. It’s a great lifestyle and lifelong activity. It can take just weeks to months to become somewhat competitive,” Cruz explains. His students seem to appreciate it; during the Wolfpack Expo in advisory – a time when students can explore different class options or participate in mental health activities, the pickleball sessions are always fully booked.

Whether you’re fiercely competing for gold in a pickleball tournament or just grabbing your friends for a casual match at your local courts, pickleball offers a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors and have fun in Central Oregon this summer.

The post Pickleball Popularity Rises in Central Oregon appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

By collecting data from Oregon State Athletics Association on which high schools had won state titles within the past 10 years, The Obsidian shined a light on the wide disparity of championship wins between high poverty and low poverty schools. Schools that have a higher percentage of kids that qualify for free and reduced meals win one-third as many state titles as the wealthier schools. 

Students from high poverty and low poverty schools weighed in with their thoughts on why there’s such a big difference. 

Grace Schmidt, a sophomore soccer player at Summit High School says, “we have definitely been given an advantage. We can afford new coaches, we get new balls and new gear. Summit has always been favored, and we can get more practice time and better coaching due to the money that we have and our school has.”

Summit has a 11% poverty rate. They’ve won 64 state titles in the last 10 years. On the other hand, schools such as Redmond High School, where 33% of students qualify for free or reduced meals, have won two state titles in the past 10 years. 

Reese Wedding, an athlete from Redmond High School, said, “I think if I went to a different school with more money there would be more opportunities such as more privately funded programs and clubs that I couldn’t get at my school.” 

Win and loss records are clearly tied to income levels. Sports authorities say the difference is often that students at wealthier schools typically can afford to join sports clubs and receive more private sports training. 

Some independent sports clubs offer scholarships, but not all of them. 

“We do our best to provide our community with financial aid so everyone can play the sport they love,” says Tara Bilanski, head of Apex FC soccer club.

According to OSAA, no assistance is available for clubs and private training. However there is outside support from donations. Within high schools, there are financial assistance programs for student athletes to compete and get the necessary gear. 

Dave Williams, Caldera High School athletic director, said all Bend-La Pine high schools work in conjunction with the education foundation to provide scholarships for sports participation fees, so low-income students can play, too. 

“We do not want that to be a barrier holding someone back,” Williams said.

If a student needs better gear for a sport, there is some assistance available. 

“It helps drastically to have new gear,” Williams said. “For individuals who need assistance, we typically refer athletes to our Family Access Network advocates (F.A.N.) at their school, can apply for donated equipment and clothing offered to schools through the Oregon Schools Activities Association foundation, and coaches in many of our programs find a way to get their athletes what they need through donations, purchasing and fundraising.”

Peter Webber, the executive director form Oregon State Athletics Association said “We provide support through the OSAA Foundation to schools with students in need of equipment and apparel via donations, most schools have programs in place to waive participation fees for students in need as well.”

The post Pay to Win? appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

The Timberwolves is an all girls rugby team that began in 2017, becoming the first and only rugby option for high school girls in Central Oregon. After Covid, the team was put on hold, which resulted in a decreased availability for women to play the sport. Now that Oregon is moving away from the pandemic, the team put together a touch season, or non-tackling season, for their athletes in spring of 2021. 

Even though the women’s team seemed to struggle after seniors graduated, coaches quit, and other unforeseen circumstances, the Summit men’s team has thrived — even having an official 2021 season, unlike the women.

“Not much has changed from pre Covid to post Covid, except for the amount of people that joined in. I think every year it just keeps growing,” said Carter Nelson, a Summit High School senior who picked up rugby during the football off-season.

This is almost the exact opposite of what occurred regarding women’s rugby. 

“As with so many things, rugby participation took a big hit during Covid and programs at all age levels along the West Coast are rebuilding,” said women’s rugby coach Lindsey Gadspy, who got into rugby after meeting her husband, the Summit men’s rugby coach, and falling in love with the sport. “This year for the girls, a Summit player came forward [to form a team] and pretty quickly the coaches and other players followed.”

Summit sophomore Hazel McRobie is this ambitious athlete, although she hasn’t gotten an opportunity to play in her high school career. 

“I’ve done touch and practice tackling with my brother but there hasn’t been a team for me to play on, so I haven’t really started,” said McRobie. “I’m super excited to have a solid group of girls, rugby is such a fun sport and super community oriented even as a physical sport.”

McRobie described something called “the third quarter,” a tradition in rugby where the home team makes dinner for their competition and families after the game, promoting a sense of community and a friendly aspect the sport seems to thrive upon.

“The expectation at all levels of rugby is that everyone involved — players, coaches, refs and fans — respect each other. It’s called the rugby ethos. There are rivalries in rugby, but you play as hard as you can until the final whistle blows, then you celebrate the game together,” said Coach Gadspy. 

Gadspy works with Bend High coach Ava Lemmon and Mountain View coach Steve Lopez to recruit girls throughout Bend La-Pine Schools.

Preseason begins this month with the actual season starting in March of 2023. The team will compete against many Portland-area teams on Saturdays, as Bend-La Pine Schools doesn’t have other girl’s rugby teams.

Although the sport might seem intimidating, the Summit rugby team welcomes all skill levels and encourages new players to come out and try this unique game. As of now, the team is mainly built from Summit athletes, however, women’s rugby hopes to expand as the season continues. For the women’s team in particular, the coaches and players want to rebuild the rugby community in hopes for it to grow and thrive in the coming years.

“The dream is to have a team at each school, but we will get the ball rolling from where we are today and expand as needed,” said Gadspy. “Rugby is an exceptionally empowering sport for women, and I am excited to watch the players find their own reasons to love it.”

The post Women’s High School Rugby Returns appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.